This invention relates to apparatus and methods used regarding alignment of pipe and other materials. More particularly, it relates to laser apparatus and methods used in the alignment of pipe and other materials.
The use of lasers in the alignment of pipe and other materials is of course known in the art. One method is to use a reference beam of light generated by a laser in combination with a reference marker or target in order to provide a straight line along which to establish the desired paths of the pipe. This ensures alignment along the laser beam or at the target's reference point remote from the laser because of the straight line accuracy of the laser beam. The use of the target, however, is in many cases less than convenient, especially where only a single worker is operating the system, as may be the case when laying sprinkler pipe or other pipe in indoor construction. Moreover, the laser used in this method is a gas laser. Gas lasers are themselves unwieldy, requiring high levels of power, which makes use difficult in handheld operations.
What has been lacking to date are simple and inexpensive apparatus and methods for the alignment of pipe and other material. This lack is especially acute in pipe alignment in internal construction, for example, such as in sprinkler pipe systems for warehouses. These pipe systems, usually comprised of branch lines running outwardly from a main or mains, are often laid in a grid pattern or at right angles.
The powerful beam of a gas laser is misplaced in such construction, and the need for reference targets in methods known in the art makes those methods unwieldy and cumbersome. Therefore, and typically in such a job, sprinkler pipe grids are laid using a method of hand measurement from a fixed reference point or points. This method rapidly becomes tedious, because it requires constant measurements as the pipe is laid in a grid arrangement over the entire ceiling area. It is also slow and inefficient, because of the need for constant measurement and remeasurement—the job progresses slowly and inefficiently.
A similar situation is seen in modular construction. In modular construction, there is often a need to go through multiple walls with a single pipe run. For example, a strip mall may require pipe, such as sewer pipe, to be laid through the fire walls separating each store. The pipe run is determined by measuring to a point on each fire wall as it is successively penetrated. This again is tedious work, requiring frequent stops and starts as each section of pipe is laid, with attendant inefficiency and increased costs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide simple and easy to use laser apparatus and methods for the alignment of pipe and other materials.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide lightweight and low power laser apparatus and methods for the alignment of pipe and other materials.